Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Positioning Costa Rica as a key market for FedEx in Latin America, emphasizing its strategic importance in the region.
- Connecting customers with tailored solutions, continuously supporting client needs.
- Promoting Costa Rica as a manufacturing hub, leveraging FedEx capabilities for local and international businesses.
- Providing transportation and logistics solutions that empower companies to consolidate and expand their business operations.
- Celebrating 25 years in Costa Rica by investing in infrastructure, strengthening the FedEx brand, and launching new services to support the local market.
- Reinforcing the FedEx People-Service-Profit philosophy, which drives leadership and organizational culture.
- Giving back to the community, focusing on social responsibility, and initiatives that make people's lives better.
- Highlighting Costa Rica's broader opportunities beyond business, including contributions to the healthcare sector and the overall well-being of its people.
EF: Could you elaborate on the footprint that FedEx has in the Caribbean region and what you have been working on? What priorities are you working on today?
MB: It has been 25 years of FedEx in Costa Rica, and it has been a meaningful journey. From my standpoint, Costa Rica stands out as a key market for FedEx in Central America and the region overall.
We have been supporting the local market by finding more efficient ways to connect our customers with new opportunities, reinforcing the long-standing commitment to the region of FedEx.
Costa Rica plays an important role in the global market. We are working to strengthen the country’s position as a manufacturing hub. We have been adjusting our logistics and services to support this growth and the increasing importance of the Central America region, particularly in Costa Rica.
EF: With Costa Rica hosting the world’s top medical device OEMs, how do you see FedEx’s role in providing tailored solutions and being a strategic supply chain partner for companies with very specific needs?
MB: Costa Rica has the perfect environment for developing these kinds of relationships and opening opportunities to grow the medical device and pharmaceutical verticals, not only for the region, but for the world.
Costa Rica is home to some of the top global pharmaceutical companies. According to data from PROCOMER, over 50 destinations have received pharmaceutical goods manufactured in Costa Rica over the last five years, which has helped both FedEx and the country expand into new markets.
It is very important to highlight the focus that has been placed on developing this model. Great logistics has always been as much about information as it is about shipments and packages themselves. This is even more crucial when it comes to healthcare shipments. It is not just about knowing where the package is; it is also about knowing how it is. FedEx is committed to these customers and to supporting them in getting their goods where they need to go.
FedEx has also invested in infrastructure and various tools to support companies producing in Costa Rica, not just by providing transportation means, but by helping them consolidate their business with quality and efficiency. Delivering these products to those in need can make a life-changing difference, and that’s what drives us.
EF: You recently received the CEIV Pharma certification. Could you also elaborate on how this certification positions FedEx as the partner of choice for the Health sector?
MB: FedEx is actually the first global integrator to achieve CEIV Pharma certification for ground handling across its air hubs and ramps. Costa Rica is part of this strategy along with other countries in Latin America, such as Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, as well as other locations in the U.S. FedEx has received this CEIV certification, which is the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators, issued by IATA, the International Air Transport Association.
This certification represents our compliance with the highest standards and a commitment to best practices, not only in handling sensitive products that require specific timing, conditions, and quality, but also in the information systems required to monitor these products throughout the supply chain.
We have developed FedEx SenseAware, which is a suite of sensor-based devices that track conditions such as location and product temperature as they move through the FedEx network. We collect near-real-time information through one of our tools called FedEx Surround, an AI-powered service that allows customers to see where their goods are in the network and how they are moving through it. By combining technology, infrastructure, and the capabilities of a well-trained team that follows best practices, we give customers the confidence that their goods are in good hands. This helps us build trust and loyalty and strengthens our role in connecting them to the world.
EF: What role does FedEx play in supporting distributed manufacturing models across different regions?
MB: Our role at FedEx is about connecting possibilities. Many of our customers are no longer based in just one location; they are operating across multiple regions. And naturally, they expect the same level of service everywhere, not just reliable transportation, but also access to near-real-time information, because of how important these goods are.
So our role is not only about providing reliable transportation services, but it is also about creating confidence and strengthening relationships with our customers. We help them access the information they need to make better decisions, whether they are based in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, or other key locations. These are major hubs in Latin America where medical devices and pharmaceuticals are produced and connected to the US.
EF: Could you elaborate on the value you see in AI when it comes to the supply chain and how it helps address customer needs and improve interconnectedness?
MB: Well, we know that technology has always been a key factor in development, no matter the industry or location. Throughout history, every time there has been a major technological advance, things have changed significantly.
Artificial intelligence has brought us into a new stage, not only in what we do but also in how we do it. The tools being developed today, powered by AI, have changed not just the way we do business but also the way we live. Today, when companies offer services, the minimum expectation is that they provide access to advanced technology. AI plays a major role in this by gathering and processing information from different sources.
In our case, it enables near real-time visibility into shipments, including their location and condition, from origin to destination. Customers can now track their goods almost in real time. If we think back, it used to be that you had to wait for a delivery to arrive and then confirm it manually, either by phone or email. That has completely changed. AI now gives people exactly what they are looking for: up-to-date, accurate information about their shipments, especially for sensitive items like those in healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
EF: Mauricio, what is the current initiative you are pursuing in Costa Rica that you are most excited about right now?
MB: We are celebrating 25 years of FedEx in Costa Rica this year. As part of our growth strategy, we have modernized our infrastructure and consolidated our capabilities. In 2022, FedEx expanded its services in the country by inaugurating a new bonded warehouse and export terminal to increase operational efficiencies and meet growing customer demands. Just 3 years later, we are completing a new significant milestone, including two temperature-controlled cold rooms and strengthening our services to help position our brand in the market.
This brought the consolidation of different services that we put in place to support the local market. We launched an in-house customs brokerage, doubled our ground fleet, brought in a larger aircraft into the market, and opened new shipment centers across the country. We understand the importance of Costa Rica in the region and in Latin America.
I have been very excited to be part of all these investments and all the things we have accomplished over the last few years, to be ready to continue supporting the growth of this market.
There is a whole world of possibilities, not just for a company like FedEx, but for Costa Rica and how it connects to the world. I look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship we have with our customers and with the community in Costa Rica.
EF: How has your leadership evolved over the past 25 years, and how do you make sure to attract and retain the best talent at FedEx throughout that time?
MB: It has been a path of evolution as a leader. One of the fundamentals that shaped my leadership is the FedEx People–Service–Profit philosophy. It has taught me that when we take care of our people, they deliver the best service, and that ultimately leads to the best results. This approach builds long-term success.
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with different leaders at FedEx, and I have learned something valuable from each of them. These experiences have helped me shape my own leadership style, which I would describe as transformational. I believe in inspiration, motivation, and empowerment as key drivers to help teams grow and give their best.
Engaging with people closely, not just as employees, but as individuals, has helped me build relationships and teams that go above and beyond. That connects back to what I mentioned earlier: inspiration, motivation, and empowerment. These have been key to building strong teams that execute with purpose and passion. These are teams that, no matter the challenge, are willing to go further, to grow, and to look for more opportunities.
As a foreigner in Costa Rica, I feel a deep commitment, not only to my team, but also to the community and to the country itself. To me, it is about legacy, what I can give back to the wonderful people I have had the chance to meet and work with. My hope is that, even if things change in the future, they can carry something forward from our time together, something that helps them in their lives, in their jobs, or simply in how they face new opportunities.
Engaging people, helping them grow, and even encouraging them to reach places I might never reach myself is the legacy that I want to build. And that, to me, is the most rewarding part: seeing people grow, seeing them reach new heights, whether inside the company or outside of it.
EF: Do you have a final message for our readers?
MB: Costa Rica definitely continues to be a great opportunity, not only from a business perspective, but also because of what the country represents to the region and to the world.
The people here are wonderful, and there is so much potential in Costa Rica. Supporting key verticals like healthcare and electronic devices, as well as small and medium-sized businesses that are working hard to grow and establish themselves, is something we are proud to be part of.
At FedEx, we are committed to strengthening our presence in the country. We are dedicated to delivering the best customer experience, and we understand that everything we do has an impact. The most meaningful contribution we can have is in people’s lives, especially in healthcare, which remains one of the main verticals we support as a business.
